States Say “No” To Pseudoscience!

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Friend,

S.T.O.P. is helping drive a wave of legislation across America. Colorado’s Governor will soon sign the second state ban on “excited delirium,” the racist and pseudoscientific “diagnosis” given for the deaths of George Floyd, Elijah McClain, Daniel Prude, and so many other victims of police violence.

S.T.O.P.’s legal team has been working with partners across the country to make this progress possible, drafting model legislation, and staying true to our focus on the intersection of science and civil rights. Last year, California was the first state to adopt our model ban on public officials citing excited delirium as a cause of death. And now this change is coming closer to home. Last month, New York State introduced its own version of the model. And the victory continues as Hawaii and Minnesota explore their own bans.

For years, medical organizations have denounced the scientific credibility of “excited delirium,” urging professionals to avoid its use in part because of its disproportionate occurrence in incidents involving BIPOC victims. Its ban is a small but necessary step on the greater path to ending police brutality. There’s much more work to be done, so we call on the New York State Legislature to move with the same haste as their predecessors in the passing of this commonsense bill.

With thanks,
Albert Fox Cahn
Executive Director

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NewsletterLeticia MurilloApril 2, 2024